A Dash of Scandal(25)
She was not one he could trifle with for two very good reasons. Aunt Beatrice had brought her to London to safeguard her position at The Daily Reader, and it was a man comparable to Lord Dunraven who had made her mother an outcast in all of London. If the dashing earl approached Millicent again, she would have no choice but to rebuff him—no matter that she wasn’t inclined to do so. She would not end up like her mother.
Millicent looked out at the lush garden again. It was too beautiful a day to stay inside. Maybe a leisurely stroll among the flowers and shrubs would free her mind of Lord Dunraven. She should join Emery and Hamlet outside in the fresh air and spend a little time thinking up new quotes from Shakespeare to use in the column.
She could always resort to looking through her aunt’s books on Shakespeare’s writings, and reading his works was never a chore, but she rather liked the idea that she could remember so many of her favorite lines without lifting a book or turning a page.
She finished off her tea, then headed toward the rear door. Millicent stepped out of her aunt’s house and into the lovely formal garden. She’d been told that her aunt’s flower garden was one of the largest and most beautiful in Mayfair, and looking at the splendor before her she could believe it. The enclosure was alive with color.
Tall, thick yews formed a hedge that was at least eight feet high and completely surrounded the garden on three sides. Separate beds of flowers had been arranged so that there would be some flower or shrub blooming from early spring until late in the autumn. At the end of the garden stood a larger-than-life-size statue of Diana, the Huntress. The goddess held a cluster of arrows in one hand and her trusted dog stood by her side. It was easy to figure out why her aunt picked that piece of statuary, given her love for her own pet.
Emery and Hamlet met her at the bottom step on their way back inside.
“Good afternoon, miss.” Emery greeted her with a pleasant smile.
“And the same to you, Emery,” Millicent said, peering down into the maid’s basket. “You picked beautiful flowers for Aunt Beatrice.”
The maid’s eyes brightened at the praise. “You think she’ll like them?”
“I’m sure of it.”
Emery smiled and said, “Thank you, miss,” then headed up the steps to the back door.
Millicent turned to the spaniel who was still looking at her with curious eyes. “What about you, Hamlet? Would you like to stay out here in the garden with me for a while?”
The little dog barked once. Millicent thought that meant he would stay outside with her, but as soon as Emery opened the door, he scampered up the steps and rushed inside just before the maid shut the door.
So much for trying to make friends with him, Millicent thought as she made her way along the stone path that led to the back of the garden. It was a beautiful day bright with sunshine, with a clear blue sky and a gentle breeze to rustle the leaves. The foliage was a lush shade of green from the early spring rains and their wet winter.
Millicent’s modest afternoon dress swished across the tops of her satin slippers as she bent down to smell a pretty pink flower.
“Millicent.”
Rising up, Millicent thought she must be going daft. She could have sworn she’d heard Lord Dunraven call her name. She looked around the grounds from corner to corner and saw nothing. She shook her head and smiled to herself. How unlike her to have such fanciful notions about a gentleman. Probably because she couldn’t get the dashing scoundrel off her mind.
She continued, her lazy stroll.
“Millicent.”
This time she stopped with a jerk and looked around again. She wasn’t hearing things. It was Lord Dunraven calling her name.
“Over here by the statue.”
She slowly walked toward the statue and, when she moved to an angle at the far right, she saw Lord Dunraven, crouched down low and hidden behind the large statue. He was motioning for her to join him.
He was unbelievable.
She looked at the back door where Emery and Hamlet had just entered. There was no sign of them, Phillips, or any of her aunt’s servants. It was inconceivable that he’d made it into the garden without anyone seeing him.
Millicent knew she should just ignore him and rush back into the house, but she couldn’t. Curiosity got the better of her and she started toward him. She took her time walking over to where he was hidden in the back center of the garden where the statue stood. When she was close enough to talk to Lord Dunraven, she stopped and pretended to look at a cluster of daisies but had her gaze on him.